


Phases of the Moon

by ChariKard



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Just a lot of Mishima stressing out, M/M, Persona User Mishima, Some fluffiness here and there, giving Mishima the characterization he deserves, giving this ship the attention it deserves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-05-29 15:50:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15076511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChariKard/pseuds/ChariKard
Summary: Hoping to get some insight on the Phantom Thieves, Mishima goes to a fortune teller. However, he gets something completely different, a deeper look into his love life. Now he's on the lookout for anyone that may 'fulfill his destiny' and change him for the better, in more ways than one.





	1. The Hermit

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little something I've had going through my head for a while. It's no modern epic but it's enough to satisfy me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _ Now I see you, trouble, it's coming up ahead _
> 
> _ Black dogs running through the fields, dripping red _
> 
> _ The world is quiet, there is nothing left unsaid _
> 
> _ A million image, million capture, million dead _

* * *

 

Mishima would always see him walking around Shinjuku, usually late at night. He didn’t know the specifics, but he knew Ren was there on Phantom Thieves business. What else could have possibly brought him all the way out there? And what kind of work could have possibly brought him to that fortune teller so many times? Based purely on the fact that he would see the boy getting a reading, Mishima assumed it had something to do with getting insight. Intriguing. Even more intriguing was just the idea of a real psychic, not just a con artist, helping out the Phantom Thieves. To most, that would sound completely crazy, but to someone in the loop, it made perfect sense. It explained how they managed to do the very things that cause a change of heart. At least, he thought so.

This was making its way around his brain for the previous weeks, and today was the breaking point. Mishima had to, absolutely had to, find some answers. It wasn't every day some way of getting information on the ones he idolized made its way to him. It was so easy. Except...Mishima was skeptical, as any rational person should be. Even so, the thought of a fortune teller with actual supernatural powers made him nervous. But nerves shouldn’t stop anyone from achieving their goals, some useful advice from the lead Phantom Thief himself. If Ren believed in him, well, so should he. He just needed to rehearse the plan a few times in his head.

The plan consisted of a few steps. The first simply being to get to Shinjuku and walk over to that woman’s little setup. The second step...get a reading. That was a subject the shy boy was not well versed in, but he assumed the psychic herself would at least be somewhat willing to help on that front. Third step...somehow get to talking about the Phantom Thieves. Yeah, it wasn't a solid plan, but it was the best he got.

After a relatively short trip on the subway and some self-deliberation as he walked down the street, it was time to put his plan into action. He walked up to the woman’s small table and stool, the cards he’d seen her use in a neat pile on one of the edges of the tabletop. She saw the boy nervously approach and just as he reached her, she smiled. “Welcome, young man. Did you wish to get your fortune read?”

“I-yes. That...is why he came here.” It sounded much smoother in his head. But getting over his natural apprehension to strangers wasn't something that came easily to him.

“Any specific reading? I mostly specialize in a basic spread but if you had some other one in mind I’d be more than happy to accommodate.”

“I’m...sorry, I’m kinda...new to this sort of thing. You know, ‘fortune telling’ and all. Could you maybe...clarify what you meant.”

She exhaled, seemingly out of annoyance, “Of course. See, the point of tarot is to provide some form of reflection. What kind depends on the spread of cards. There are many kinds but a basic one provides reflection on your past, present, and future, decided by the three cards that are drawn. And, depending on the theme of the reading, the divine power will make certain points obvious. Most people care more about what their future entails which is why I focus more on that with a basic spread. But, like I said before If you would like I can give you any others.”

“Oh, sounds...interesting.”

“So which will it be?”

The volleyball player thought about his options. He knew absolutely nothing on different ‘spreads’ as she called them, so there wasn't much choice other than the basic one she had already explained. But even that one had some downsides. He didn't like the idea of talking about his past, he relived that enough as it was. Similarly, his present wasn't exactly an interesting topic to him, which left his future. Given that he didn't like the idea of fortune telling in the first place, the idea of allowing her to do what she knows best was most appealing. And gaining some information on his future was intriguing as well. He could use what he obtained to see what the universe had planned for him and he could maybe use it as a stepping stone to get to the final step in his plan.

“How about...we just stick with the basics?”

“Certainly. And what would you like to focus on? Love, money, success, hardship?”

“I...what?” Mishima was still unclear as to what this woman was talking about. “I’m not sure exactly...”

“Oh, I know what you're looking for. You came to me for relationship advice.” the lady grinned wide.

“Relationship? T-that’s not-”

“Look,” she set her elbow on the table and placed her chin in her open hand, “I’m a psychic. I can sense what’s on your mind. That and you’re acting like a typical guy who’s head-over-heels.”

“I’m not-it’s not like that!”

She leaned back in her chair and readjusted the headband she had been wearing. “Are you seriously going to argue with a psychic? Or are you going to trust me and go with it?”

Mishima, shrinking into himself, groaned slightly. He shouldn't argue with a psychic, that is definitely a bad idea, but at the same time, he didn't have any need for a love reading. At least he didn't think he needed one. But it’s not like it would hurt in any way. Mishima wasn't exactly well off in the romance department and, if he was being honest with himself, he could use any help he could. “I...o-okay. I’ll do it.”

“Wonderful. That’ll be 1,000¥. Upfront.” She stuck her hand out as if he already had the money ready.

“Alright,” he stuck his hand into his pocket, fishing for his wallet. He hesitated for a second, wondering if the plan he had was solid enough. If it wasn't, then he would have wasted some money that could have been put to better use. But he couldn't turn back now. He pulled out the money as confidently as possible and placed it in her awaiting hand.

“Thank you,” she smiled again. Every time she did he couldn't help but shiver slightly. She grabbed the deck of cards and slid them over to him. “Take the cards,” she commanded, “and shuffle them. However you want, it doesn't matter, as long as you do it thoroughly.” he did as he was told, doing a simple shuffle, splitting the deck and placing one half into the other in as random a way as possible. he wasn't good with any other forms of shuffling. “Be sure to put your energies into them while you do it as well.” He wasn’t quite sure what she meant by ‘energies’ so he did what he hoped was his best with that. After about thirty seconds she cleared her throat, “That should be good enough.” he placed the cards back down. She reached her hand over and pulled them over to her side of the table. She closed her eyes, placed her hands on the top of the deck, and inhaled deeply. he didn't know what he was supposed to do if anything, so he only watched. She exhaled and opened her eyes again. “Alright, let’s get started, shall we?” he nodded in response. She pulled out the first card and laid it down on the table, face down.

She pulled out two more cards, placing them right next to the previous one. She looked down at the cards and flipped the first one over. When she did, he could’ve sworn he felt...he didn't really know. It was kind of like a vibration of sorts that went through his whole body. He also swore he could see this movement through the air, even though there was no evidence of such a disturbance. It was bizarre. She studied it for a second, before starting to actually 'read' his first card. She pointed to it and began an explanation, “For the first card we have the Fool. A relatively good card. It represents new beginnings, and a willingness to start some sort of adventure. Going boldly forth, worrying very little to not at all about what is to come. It is also representative of choice, important ones at that. It signifies an unrealistic optimism caused by some form of innocence.” She paused and contemplated some more. “I sense an energy of spontaneity with this card as well. Considering this reading is focused on the love aspect of your life, I believe it’s safe to say this energy has something to do with a past connection you might have to someone, one that may have started a journey of sorts for you. I’d find it hard to imagine the card is directly representative of you, after all,” She quipped.

“Wha...what’s that supposed to mean?” he was confused, to say the least. Nothing she said seemed to be of any use. It seemed a little too vague.

“Someone you’ve met has some influence on your love life. Most likely someone that pushed you out of your comfort zone and provided some new experience for you but not an unwelcome one.”

“Who...can you tell me who it is?” the boy seemed almost too eager, considering his previous apprehension to psychic on the way to Shinjuku.

She chuckled slightly, “If I could do that, don't you think I'd be somewhere else...you know, instead of doing readings right outside an alley?” Mishima fidgeted, realizing how strange his question seemed to be. “Hm, well, why don't we continue,” she said as she reached her hand out to flip the second card.

“This card is the Moon,” she began explaining. “This card is representative of fear and anxiety. You are either fearful at present or the everyday experiences one goes through. This causes you to worry about many things, some of which are unimportant. You are unsure of how to overcome this fear or how to take on the future. In doing so, you have become more insecure about yourself, worried about your place in your own story.” he gulped. What she said wasn't wrong, it was scarily accurate. He was still skeptical at this point though. Enough that he still needed something more before he would believe wholeheartedly.

“And this last card,” She started,” is the Strength card. However, it is reversed. Normally this would mean an inner strength developing inside you, but that is not the case with a reversal. This instead represents the opposite, internal weakness and self-doubt. Similar to your last card, your insecurities bring a lack of confidence in yourself and this affects your future. You doubt you have the courage or the willpower to do the things you so desire and as a result...you don't.”

The fortune teller didn't exactly say much that cleared up his confusion. “So...what does this mean about my...l-love life?”

“Well, it isn't all that hard to see. It appears that someone from your past has affected your life in the romantic sense. I can't say whether or not this person will be your future lover, but what I can say is that they are spontaneous and unpredictable. Given that, it seems a bit odd that your present self would be represented by the Moon arcana. It seems this person’s influence on you was not very strong or is diminishing for some reason I cannot determine. It seems that the aspects of the Moon are engrained within you very deeply that even when someone tries to push you to do things out of your comfort zone, your fears and anxieties still hold you back. Self-doubt and insecurities are the very characteristics that are keeping you from going forward. Reaching towards the strength you need in order to grab hold of the love you truly want but feel you don't deserve.”

“What’s any of that supposed to mean?!” the boy blurted out. He wasn't feeling well about the reading mainly because the psychic seemed to be legitimate. It felt like she was prying through his subconscious which he did not like.

“No need to get upset,” she exclaimed, trying her best to calm him down. “It’s what the tarot determined. I had no control over the outcome, that was all you, I just read them.”

“I...I'm sorry...I got a little...worried, is all.”

“Worried?”

“Yeah, I thought you were...in my head or something...I know it sounds dumb.”

The fortune teller smirked, “I never thought I was that good. You sure your anxieties aren't getting to you?”

He looked down at his feet, “...Maybe a little.”

The fortune teller smiled, “Well then...why don't we wrap this up? I’d say you're pretty much done.”

“Wait!” the boy shouted. He wasn't sure why, but something was nagging him to do so. He couldn't quite pin it but it had something to do with the reading. Something about it was pulling him like he needed more information, a deeper understanding. “I...I think I need another reading.”

“Seriously? One wasn't enough?” she gestured towards the cards still on the table. Mishima nodded, causing the psychic to nod as well. “Alright, I guess I can. But it’s gonna be another 1,000¥.”

“Sure thing,” the boy responded, pulling out his wallet a second time and fishing out the money. The fortune teller gracefully took the cash and put it away. She took the cards from the center of the table and shuffled them back into the deck, handing it to Mishima.

“You remember what to do?” she asked as the boy grabbed the deck with his hands.

“Yeah, it wasn't that long ago so...” He did just as he had before, ‘putting his energies’ into them as best he could. After a few seconds, he placed the deck back on the table, sighing as he did so. The psychic placed them back in their original spot and did just as she had before, the three cards face down on the table. She flipped the first one and smirked.

“The Fool again. It seems this card is definitely significant to you.” Mishima was stunned. He’d seen the math before. The chances of a specific card being on the top of the deck were small, a one in 52 chance, but that same card being there a second time after being shuffled? A one in almost 3,000 chance, 2704 to be exact. Plus he had to take into account the fact that those were the odds for a normal deck of cards. This was a tarot deck, which at first glance seemed to have more than average. The chances weren't impossible but they were very low to the point that the ‘divine power’ the fortune teller had mentioned before seemed entirely plausible.

“S-so,” he wasn't planning on stumbling, “does that mean the same as before?”

“Not much else it could. So let's see what the next card is.” She flipped the center card, “The Lovers, but reversed. It seems a choice has been put in front of you and you are close to choosing the wrong one. As the Lovers usually represents harmony or balance, it would be safe to assume the reverse is true for this reading. Something is currently throwing you off, messing with you internally and making it hard to choose what is right for you.” She placed her hand to her chin, “This is turning out to be a more interesting reading than the last one...I wonder what the last card is.” Before Mishima could even react to her words she flipped the final card and her face turned slightly saddened.

“W-what is it?” the boy wondered, at the edge of his seat.

“The Hermit.” She turned her gaze intently towards the spread, almost glaring. “It looks as if whatever romance you may find after this will only lead to internal loneliness.” Hearing that from a psychic didn't help Mishima in the confidence department. “While the Hermit symbolizes self-isolation, it may also be an omen of self-introspection. You may learn more about yourself with, what appears to be, some sort of heartbreak.”

“So you're saying...” the boy sounding more dejected than he wanted, “It’s hopeless...I’m not...” He chuckled in reluctant humor, “I never thought I was fit for romance...I guess I was right...”

The fortune teller had a pained expression as if holding something back. She scratched her arm and just as Mishima was about to say goodbye and go home empty handed she shouted, “No. You're not,” her customer was confused, his eyes widening and focusing on her. “I know you think this is the end but let me tell you...fate isn't absolute. I used to believe what you do, that fate is unchanging, that the tarot cannot be gone against but I learned better. Someone showed me the truth. You can change your destiny, you just have to believe. In yourself, in others.” Mishima didn't expect that kind of talk from someone who divined destiny through cards, but something about hearing it from her sparked a boost in himself.

“You really think I can just go against...well, whatever god or power destined me to be a certain way?”

The fortune teller nodded, “I don't just think, I know.”

“So if I believe in myself I’ll...I won't be that hermit you said I’d be?”

She crossed her arms, “Well...do you believe?”

Mishima wasn't sure how to respond. Yes, he would like to go against what the cards had said but was he powerful enough to rebel against some mystical, psychic realm? It was comforting believing he wasn't, but he had learned that rolling over and letting the world stomp on you was not any way to live. He wasn't going to ignore the advice of a friend and let anything stop him from doing what he needed to. He was going to rebel against a power beyond him, something he would think impossible. He would change the very idea of fate itself and get the love he deserved.

“Yes. I do! I believe in myself!” the boy shouted almost too loudly. A few people along the street glanced in his direction.

The Psychic giggled, “No need to be that ecstatic.” Mishima blushed lightly and looked back at his feet. The woman crossed her arms, “Normally I’d have my ‘apprentice’ by my side and he would be the one to convince you but as you can see...he isn't here. Even so, I’d never seen someone as eager to take on the challenge that they'd publicly embarrass themselves a little.”

“So...even though you're a psychic you still think fate can be changed? ” the boy asked, curious and trying to turn attention away from his embarrassment.

The fortune teller nodded, “Not in the beginning, when I first started doing readings. But then I met my apprentice. He would manage to convince my clients to change fate themselves in such a spectacular way that it seemed to me just like wishful thinking. But after they would leave I would take another look with the divine power to see if their fate had changed and every time it had. It was proof to me that fate could be altered. Since it is currently only me at the moment and after seeing you in such a state because of your destiny, I felt obligated to do something.”

Hearing the comment of hers that involved verifying the change piqued his interest. “I-if you don’t mind me asking...will you do the same thing for my fate?”

“Most likely. I’d be a fool not to, really.” Mishima wanted to see the results. See if destiny had been altered, but he didn't feel like spending more money in order to find out. “If you want, I’ll let you see as well,” the psychic smirked, seeming to know what the boy was thinking, “free of charge.”

“Really?! B-but isn't that like...”

She rolled her eyes, “Look, do you want to see your fate now or not?”

The boy only nodded, watching as the psychic took the cards and put them back in the deck. Unlike the last two times, she didn't hand them to Mishima, taking them in her hands and shuffling them herself. A few seconds and she placed them back down on the table. She mumbled something under her breath and placed three cards just as before. She flipped them over one after the other and smiled.

“The fool again...I wonder...” Her grin didn't change as she moved to the second card. “The Devil. A card associated with a separation from approval, materialism, and what holds us back. It also represents an opening of one’s sexuality,” Her grin turned almost devious in Mishima’s eyes. “And a reversed moon,” she continued, “the opposite of what I had said earlier. It seems fate has indeed changed for you. And you had only major arcana through all three of these readings...very strange.”

“‘Major arcana?’ What’s that mean?”

“Just that they are of great importance in your life at the moment. It’s nothing to worry about. But you should be aware of those around you, they very well may be representative of the cards you've seen today, as is usually the case when many major arcana are present.”

“So...what do I do now?” the boy wondered.

“Go and find your destiny. Face it head on without any hesitation. And if I were you, I’d start by looking for the Fool.”

“You mean...the person the card represents?”

“Exactly,” the psychic affirmed. “Like I said, there is most certainly someone in your life that will lead you on this journey, or at least start it for you. Maybe they already have. But you need to look inside yourself and uncover their identity. You need to keep your confidence up and go against fate itself.”

“A-alright! I will!” Mishima stood up from the stool, grinning at the psychic who did the same back. He bowed to her, “Thank you so much for this...” He paused, realizing he hadn't gotten the fortune teller’s name the entire time.

She seemed to understand and interjected into the silence, “Chihaya Mifune. And if you don't mind, I like to have the names of all my clients.”

“Oh...Uh, Yuuki Mishima. Everyone just calls me Mishima though.”

“Well, it was...interesting having you here. I hope I was in anyway helpful,” Mifune smiled widely, causing Mishima to look away.

“I...I’ll see you later,” the boy said, before walking off. The psychic shook her head in amusement, taking her cards back into the deck. Just as she had placed them off to their designated corner, she looked up to see the boy, who had walked off a few seconds, running back towards her.

“Wait! I forgot...I needed to ask you something,” Mishima exclaimed, slightly out of breath.

“I take it’s of some importance?” Mifune jabbed.

The boy reclaimed his breath, sighing, “The Phantom Thieves...do you work with them?”

The fortune teller blinked as one does after being blindsided. “Wow...how incredibly forward. I expected you to have at least a bit of subtly...Why do you think I work with them?”

“Because you're a psychic! Wouldn't that give some kind of tactical advantage to stealing people’s hearts?”

Mifune was unmoving. Her facial expression stayed still, not revealing any information, much to Mishima’s disliking. “I wouldn't know since my powers are only used in this setting.”

The phanboy looked defeated, just as he had before. “So you don't work with them...I knew it was a long shot.”

“I take it you're a fan of theirs?”

Mishima smiled lightly, “You could say that...” He turned away from the fortune teller, back towards the street. “Well...thanks anyway...for the reading.” The boy walked down the street, back towards the station. Mifune smirked, just as he disappeared from her vision.

“Looks like I’ve got an observant little client.”


	2. The Fool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _ And all the birds fall out of the sky in two by two's _
> 
> _ And my teeth fall out my head into the snow _

* * *

 

Mishima was on the hunt. Ever since his run-in with the psychic, he had a borderline obsession with finding ‘the Fool’. She had told him a few important factors that might narrow it down, but that didn't make it all that much easier. Someone spontaneous and unpredictable could apply to most of the people he knew, past and present. They had to have also had an impact on his personality in the past, one that leads to a somewhat significant change. Unfortunately, he was having difficulty even coming up with a change within. He seemed to lack the personal understanding of himself to do so, making the possibility of uncovering the Fool’s identity quite small, much to his disappointment and frustration.

Normally, Mishima wouldn't let these thoughts get in the way of his daily function. He’d wait until he was free to himself at which point he could think on it for hours at a time. But something about this situation changed that. He was now thinking about his fate at every opportunity, which included sitting in class being bored out of his mind.

“Mishima!” his teacher Mr. Ushimaru shouted. The boy jumped, his attention directed at the adult with no hesitation. He stood up from his desk, standing straight and trying his best to keep his cool.

“Y-yes sir?” he projected, avoiding eye contact with the teacher.

“Care to explain what was so fascinating about the window that you'd prefer to stare at it than pay attention to the lesson?”

Mishima bowed slightly, “S-sorry sir. It won't happen again.” The boy waited for a response from the man, one that would prompt him to be allowed to sit back down. This came in the form of a grunt.

“Hmph,” Mr. Ushimaru crossed his arms. “Kids these days showing no respect for their elders. You all seem to think only for yourselves, too focused on trivial matters than being productive members of society...” Mishima sat back in his chair, doing his best to pay attention to Ushimaru and while he heard what followed, he wasn't able to grasp what was being said. He knew his teacher was in fact speaking but none of the spoken words formed coherently in his head.

He sat in class, staring blankly at the teacher, trying to make sense of the sounds, until the bell rang. Mr. Ushimaru grumbled to himself, Mishima’s fellow students packing up for lunch. The volleyball player began doing the same, watching as his classmates filed out the doors. He was just about to stand up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It startled him briefly, but at seeing who it was he relaxed.

“Oh, Amamiya. You surprised me.”

The spectacled teen smiled, “Sorry about that. I just came to ask you something.”

Mishima wasn't used to Ren asking him questions but that didn't change the fact that he was more than happy to. “Sure thing. What did you need?”

“Well...this isn't about me. It’s more about you.” Mishima felt the nervousness seep through his veins. “Not to sound creepy, but I've seen how you've been acting today and something seems a bit off. You're not yourself really. Is something wrong?”

Mishima wasn't sure how to answer that. There was technically nothing wrong per se, but he was feeling ‘a bit off’. That wasn't what his friend had asked, however, so would it be wrong to omit that? Keeping silent was his specialty so it’s not like it would be out of character for him. Maybe he could even come up with a convincing explanation for his behavior. Then again, Mishima was never good at lying to anyone, let alone someone he trusted.

“I-it’s...it’s really nothing,” he mumbled, “I’m just a bit...stressed. Midterms are coming up and well...I've been worried about them.”

Ren smiled, “What do you have to worry about? You've got a few weeks to study up and you're pretty close to the top of the class.”

“Getting there wasn't easy. Keeping my spot takes work. If I don't work hard I can lose it and that won't be good for my confidence.”

The Phantom Thief placed his fingers to his chin, thinking for a moment. After what Mishima assumed was brainstorming, he looked the volleyball player in his eyes. “You know what? I think you need a break. Something to relax and unwind.”

Mishima looked back curiously, “You think that’s going to make me less stressed? Slacking off is the last thing to help me.”

Ren rolled his eyes, “It’s not slacking if you've got weeks to prepare. Besides, you're gonna have a mental breakdown before we even get close to midterms at this rate.”

As much as he believed himself, the observations Ren had made rang just as true to Mishima. He was causing himself unnecessary anxiety over something that wasn't to happen for quite some time. Worrying about the repercussions of a stress-relieving activity was not productive in the slightest. “...You know what? I think you're right. I should be doing something to take my mind off exams.”

Ren clapped his hands and grinned, “Great! And I have the perfect place to take you just for that. We’ll go there once school’s out.” With that, the teen slung his bag over his shoulder, gave Mishima a light tap on his back, and made his way to the door.

“Wait!” the nervous boy exclaimed. “Aren't you going to tell me where we’re going?” Ren didn't respond, just opened the door to the classroom and leaving Mishima to think to himself in an almost empty classroom.

 

When the bell rang for class to end, Mishima sat still, clutching the bag in his lap. He glanced to his left to see Ren stand from his seat and stride towards him. Once he had placed himself just behind the seated boy, he cleared his throat.

“So...ready to go?”

Mishima responded, albeit weakly, “Y-yeah. Let's get on our way.” He got up from his chair and the two boys made their way out of the school together. After crossing the gates of Shujin, the two headed towards the subway station and entered a train on its way towards Shibuya, a hub of activity they were familiar with. Upon exiting the train car, they ventured to another boarding platform, confusing Mishima somewhat.

“Um...are we not going to just stay in Shibuya?” he questioned, a hint of worry audible in his voice.

“Been there, done that. I’m taking you somewhere I think will be a game changer for you,” Ren answered without looking at his companion. As the train pulled in, Mishima’s nervousness increasing every second, he added, “Besides, I’m sure you know exactly where we’re headed.”

The anxious teen had a somewhat good idea considering the line they were about to be on went north. Unfortunately, there was no way for him to be sure as Ren was often times unpredictable. The doors to one of the cars opened, allowing the two entrance onto their transportation, bringing them ever closer to the Phantom Thief’s secret location.

The train made a few stops before Ren finally exited, at which point Mishima had high confidence as to where he was being taken. As they departed from the station, his suspicions were confirmed, as the two were greeted with a familiar theme park.

“Dome Town, huh?” Mishima said, sounding almost sarcastic.

“No need to sound disappointed,” Ren quipped.

“Oh...sorry, it’s just...I've been here a few times and I was expecting something...different, you know?”

The Phantom Thief grinned, “I’m aware of that, which is why I have a question to ask.”

Mishima furrowed his brow, “Well...shoot then.”

“How many roller coasters have you been on?” It was a straightforward question, one the phanboy did not quite expect. His eyes went slightly wider, memories of his past visits to amusement parks flooding his mind. As he filed through, a realization occurred, one he found embarrassing. No matter how far back or recent he looked, he could not remember ever being on a rollercoaster. He’d been to Dome Town before, sure, but every time it was to play video games, or anything not requiring him to be strapped into a fast moving vehicle for that matter. Part of the reason was that Mishima was content to stay on the sidelines and enjoy the simple pleasures theme parks had to offer. Another part was what he found embarrassing. He was afraid.

Many of the things people found exhilarating and enjoyable about roller coasters, Mishima found nerve-wracking and unenjoyable. He understood why someone else might see him as odd but that didn't change the fact that in his mind he was the rational one. The heights, fast moving objects, stomach-churning forces, screams of terror. None of it he found appealing.

Yet for whatever reason, his rationale didn't explain away the shame he felt. The very act of explaining all that to someone might, but he was never good at articulating his thoughts on the spot, especially when they were highlighted by embarrassment. “W-well...I...not very many...” Mishima muttered, his change in demeanor obvious to his accompaniment.

“I figured,” Ren smirked almost mischievously. “You've got a fear of roller coasters, huh?”

His exclamation caused Mishima to squeak, “Don't say that so loud! I don't want anyone to know.”

Ren turned his head from side to side, scanning the people around them. “Doesn't look like anyone cares,” he stated, bringing his attention back to his friend. “Besides, it’s not that uncommon a fear. I’m sure tons of people here feel the same as you do.” Hearing that made Mishima feel a bit better, but what followed erased the positive emotion. “And I’m almost 100% certain most of them are here to get over their fear.”

Ren looked forward, towards the nearest roller coaster, grin on his face, and marched towards it. He was only a few steps ahead when Mishima shouted, “No! No way! I can't...I won't! Anything but that!” His spectacled friend only shrugged, continuing his walk in the direction of the theme park ride.

The athlete’s face contorted in worry. The farther Ren got, the more guilt he began to feel. His friend had gone out of his way to bring him there, pay his fare, and here he was now, considering abandoning the trip out of nothing but cowardice. Ren had taught him the importance of being true to himself, taught him how to be strong even in the face of danger. He taught Mishima how to be confident, and he would have felt tremendous guilt to up and leave. He would be a terrible friend to go against advice he had heeded in the past. He had to show that he was capable of being more than what those expected of him.

With a bit of effort on the part of his subconscious, he ran towards his friend, who had managed quite the distance. “W-wait!,” he cried, grabbing Ren’s shoulder, not only to stop him but, to keep his balance. “A-alright...I’ll do my best...and try to get over my fear.”

Without missing a beat, Ren hooked their arms together, “Then we better hurry.” With linked elbows, the two sped to the coaster they were closest in proximity to. At first glance, the turns and drops made it seem to be somewhat average. Nothing too intense but still nauseating to Mishima. The line was of the same caliber, long, as was expected in an amusement park, yet not the most expansive one possible.

The two boys stopped at the back of the line, Ren releasing his arm from his friend’s. The rest of the line wait was a blur to Mishima. He wasn't keeping track of time, but he did notice the Phantom Thief’s face increase in excitement the closer they got. Mishima, on the other hand, could feel his hands and feet go colder as they neared the front of the line. The sweat on his brow, unnoticed by most, was noticed by him. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, prompting Ren to giggle, “Calm down, you’ll be fine.”

Finally, they made it. They were the very first people in the queue. The ride attendant and Mishima watched as the people loaded into a total of six cars. Once they all were seated, the employee walked by each one, making sure they were all strapped in. After doing so, she walked right to a podium which most likely contained the controls for the ride. The operator spoke into a microphone, explained some rules about safety and began a countdown from three, where at one they ride would start.

“Alright. Three...Two...” and before they reached one, the ride attendant pushed a button, launching the cars forward. It was at this moment that Mishima began to feel the most anxious. In around 2 minutes, he would be placed in that exact situation. He was almost terrified. His heart rate increased and before he knew it the car was making its stop back in the loading area. The restraints were released and the riders exited, some unsteadily, all with smiles on their faces.

Mishima gulped, the operator opening the partition that held back those waiting in line. The volleyball player was unmoving for a few moments. Ren, noticing his friends hesitation, placed his hand on his back, “Come on. Can't hold up this line forever.” He pushed subtly, causing Mishima to begin walking. Being that they were at the front, the two teens were able to take their place in the very first car, much to Mishima’s chagrin.

As they placed themselves in their seats, the athlete’s gaze was placed directly ahead. Ren, who was on his left, stayed silent, looking at his friend from the corner of his eye. Within a few seconds, the metal restraints were lowered, locking the two in place. Mishima gripped on them tightly, his already cold knuckles turning white.

“Hey...” Ren whispered. He lifted his hand to place it on Mishima’s pale one. “I’ve got you.” The nervous teen felt a surge of warmth through his body, comfort from a friend seeming to ease his nerves slightly. He was about to thank his companion for being there for him, but the operator had begun the countdown.

“Three...Two...” Mishima shut his eyes as the car shot forward, pushing his body against the seat. He could feel his stomach drop as they rose into the air, realizing what was to come at the very top. A sudden descent moved his organs into positions he was not fond of, a pressure building up against his diaphragm. A turn lurched this sensation to his side, followed by another incline and drop, the same experience repeating. After that, while it was still somewhat discomforting, it was no longer unpleasant. While he didn't greet the following drops with anticipation, something in him changed how he perceived the ride. By the end of it, the undulations felt simply like tickles.

As the car came to a stop, Mishima’s eyes reopened, his most important sense brought back to him. He inhaled deeply and started chuckling lightly to himself. “I...I did it! I actually did it! And I didn't throw up everywhere!” A sense of accomplishment made its way through his veins, blood returning to his extremities producing a warmth. The restraints ascended, clearing the way to stand back up. Mishima turned his head, a smile plastered on his face, to Ren who seemed a bit confused.

“What’s the matter?” the athlete asked, noticing the direction his eyes were focused towards. Mishima lowered his gaze to see his hand tightly squeezing the hand of his companion.

“...You can let go you know...” Ren said, the corner of his lip rising at the last word. “Unless...you need me to comfort you a bit longer.” Out of pure reflex of embarrassment, Mishima pulled his hand away, his face heating up. Ren let out a hearty laugh as he stood up from his seat. He extended his hand to assist his friend but was met with apprehension. He rolled his eyes, “I'm just helping you up. First time off a roller coaster’s a bit...interesting.”

The volleyball player slowly reached out to grasp the helping hand. He pushed his body up and upon reaching his normal height, he felt the weakness in his legs. He almost fell back down but with the help of Ren, he managed to stay upright. “Told you.” The glasses-clad teen joked. With a few seconds of shaky walking, the two were able to exit the car. “So how was it?” he asked as they descended the steps that led off.

Mishima paused, mentally speaking. At first, the ride was unpleasant, as it went on it became less and less so, to the point where he could almost say he enjoyed it. Was this caused by what people call an adrenaline rush? It sure seemed so. Whatever the case, he was going to be honest with his friend. “It was...kinda fun actually,” he explained with a smile.

Ren supplied a smile of his own. “Good to hear. So...does that mean you'd go on another?”

Mishima didn't have to think too hard about that one. Considering how he was feeling after one, he thought he could handle at least one other on. “Sure. I think I'd be able too.”

With no words, Ren hooked his arm into Mishima’s once more and sped off, the two headed towards another coaster.

 

By the time the sun had set, the two teens had been on two other roller coasters and as the closing of the park was nearing, they had been on about five or six. Mishima had lost count so it was possible he was under or overestimating, partially due to his enjoyment of the whole endeavor. The experience was one he would partake in a second time.

Unfortunately, they were left with around an hour before the park officially closed, meaning it was about time the boys made their way home. As they were walking towards the exit to the park, Ren stopped, turning his head to his left. Mishima was so focused on walking he had almost left his friend behind.

“Hey...” he called out, shuffling over to his companion. “You alright?”

Ren switched his gaze towards Mishima. “I'm perfectly fine. There's just one thing I want to do before we go.” the teen pointed in the direction he was staring only a few moments ago. “We’re going to go on that Ferris wheel.”

Mishima was almost at a loss for words. “What? Why?”

“I've always wanted to see the skyline from on top of one of them, but the last time I was here Ryuji refused to humor me. Something about how he didn't want to ruin his reputation.”

Ren provided an understandable reasoning for why, but something about the idea he was uncomfortable with. Last he checked, riding a Ferris wheel was an activity couples took part in, not two friends that were just hanging out, let alone the two being guys.

Mishima had never been the popular one. All throughout middle school he was teased for acting like himself. ‘A Zero’ they'd call him since very few people took the time to be friends with him. By the end of it and towards the beginning of his first year in high school, they started teasing him about something different. Mishima was never good with girls and he never claimed to be. He never went out of his way to try anything because he knew he would only be made fun of for even attempting. This opened up the door for more teasing, focused on his timid nature, what some may consider femininity. That coupled with the fact that a girlfriend was never present in his life, gave his bullies a few choice words to call him, ones he disliked being associated with.

This is why he was apprehensive to go on the Ferris wheel. If anyone was to catch the two of them riding together, they'd assume the two of them were in a relationship. Their ill-humored jokes would be vindicated. He would surely be teased like he had in the past. He didn't want to relive those moments once more.

“B-but isn't that...something only couples do?”

Ren sighed, “Don't tell me you're worried about that. Are you going to tell me that you're willing to sacrifice the beautiful view from the top of that giant spinning wheel because you're afraid some people might take us going together the wrong way? We’re friends, and I like to enjoy things with friends, even if someone else might look down on us.”

When he put it like that, Mishima started to see how inconsequential the act of riding with his friend would be. It also made sense for Ren to believe this. He was the one that taught the athlete to be more confident in himself. He’s the one that rebelled against society for nothing but reforming it. He’s the one that pushed him to do things Mishima would otherwise be wary of.

Not only that, but the phanboy would be lying to himself if he agreed with Ren’s previous statement. He too wanted to see the city from above, to admire it, but his unfounded fears kept him from thinking it was normal. With the Phantom Thief however, it seemed anything could be normal.

“...Y-you're right. I should do what I want without worrying about what others think.”

Ren smiled, “Then let’s get to that wheel.”

It took less than a minute to get to the Ferris wheel and, since the park was soon to close, the line was practically nonexistent. Upon getting to the front, the attendant gave a short look, one Mishima noticed but was missed by Ren, that seemed to be one of enjoyment, his lower eyelids lifted slightly and a smugness on his lips. The nervous boy turned away, choosing to watch the wheel slowly turn until a free seat was towards the bottom.

The man managing the ride opened the gate, allowing Mishima and Ren to make their way into one of the wheel’s seats. As they sat, the operator lowered a metal bar that was used as a safety. He locked it in place and, in an almost commanding voice, said, “Enjoy the ride you two.”

With that, he walked to his control panel and pushed a button, the Ferris wheel slowly lifting the two boys into the air. A few seconds and the two were halfway up, the skyline from behind the park's buildings and rides just visible. A few more and they were at the top, their seat stopping. The lights of Japan extending all the way out towards the horizon. The sight was mesmerizing, the lights illuminating the darkness of the earth like the stars shining through the emptiness of space. The moon hung high in the sky, only a minuscule sliver of a silver crescent.

“...Wow...” was all Mishima was able to say, his words taken from his mouth by the spectacle before him.

“This is better than I expected,” Ren commented. The boy seated next to him turned his head at those words. Mishima saw the wonderment in his friend’s eyes and felt an almost tingling in his chest, caused by happiness he was only recently familiar with. He smiled to himself, studying Ren as the seat they were in rocked back and forth subtly.

As he looked away to admire the view once more before the wheel began turning again, he became suddenly aware of their proximity. Of course, this was expected to be in a small seat made for two normal sized people, but something about the contact made the tingling Mishima had felt seem more intense. He could feel his cheeks fill with blood as he noticed their hands, clasped on the metal bar, just grazing each other.

The phanboy didn't know what was going on. It was a strange feeling, possibly sparked by his hyper-awareness of the situation. He had tried to ignore it but maybe it was too powerful to just put aside.

Luckily, only a few moments later, the wheel began moving again, bringing the two teens back to ground level. As they stepped off, the operator nodded, and the boys headed for the second time that night towards the park exit. “Thanks for going on with me,” Ren said just as the entrance gate became visible. “It’s always nicer enjoying something like that with other people.”

Mishima nodded, “Agreed. I’m glad I could join you.” Ren patted him on the shoulder and the two walked towards the subway station.

 

The second he got into his room, Mishima fell in the swivel chair he had at his desk. The day he just had was energy draining, both mentally and physically but more so the latter. He slouched, stretching his muscles, sighing in relief as the tension from them was released.

He opened his laptop to check the Phansite poll, deal with ‘trolls’, the sort of things an admin had to keep tabs on. At least, that was the plan. But his mind kept wandering to towards the events of the day. The drastic change in him that was caused by his close friend Ren.

Thinking about him was something Mishima did often. Considering he ran a whole website dedicated to his group’s escapades, that was expected. But as he sat at his desk, something felt different. He couldn't pinpoint it. As he thought longer on the events of the day, Ren’s motivation, the conquering of fear, the ride on the Ferris wheel, yet another, seemingly unrelated, note made its way into his consciousness. The fortune he had read only a day prior.

Chihaya had said his final reading went against fate. From what he remembered she had said the Fool represented someone in his life, someone spontaneous. The Devil, a separation from the approval of others, and the Moon but reversed, a stronger self being revealed. While he understood most of what she was implying, he felt he should do some of his own research into the cards and their meanings.

With his already opened laptop, he did just that, studying on the three cards he was dealt by the hand of fate. The Fool, representative of spontaneity, new beginnings, and new experiences. The Devil, representing bondage to ideals, an opening of sexuality, and materialism. And the reversed Moon, meaning the release of fear, unhappiness, and confusion. At reading the explanations of each, he had finally connected some dots. He understood why his brain had wandered to the tarot mere seconds after thinking about Ren.

Chihaya had explained that the fool most likely represented someone that would use their traits to influence Mishima, leading him towards the next card, the Devil. Of all those he knew, there was one person that fit that criteria. Ren Amamiya. How he had not realized the connection until that moment he was unsure, but that was not the end of his thought tangent. If Ren was to be the Fool that led him on a new journey of self discovery, well...that opened a can of worms Mishima wasn't ready to deal with.

Ren was going to be the one to help him become the reversed Moon, but to do that, he would have to confront the Devil. He wasn't against the idea. After all, the end goal was something he wanted, but the step in the middle was what worried him. Any talk of ‘opening one’s sexuality’ made Mishima the tiniest bit uneasy and knowing that Ren was going to be the one to do that? He’d rather not think to hard on that

He closed his computer, sighing in exasperation. He got up from his chair, changed into a pair of comfortable sweatpants, and fell back on his bed. He’d put off having to figure out the Devil another day.

Just as he was about to doze off, he realized he hadn't thanked his friend for the day he had. While he would have liked to avoid thinking on him any further, common courtesy seemed more important. As he shuffled on his bed to get comfortable, he pulled out his phone and unlocked it. His thumb hovered over his messenger, when he noticed something in the corner of his screen. An app icon, he didn't recognize. It was, what looked to be, a stylized black eye on a red background.

Mishima was curious and a little bit worried. He would have tapped on it but a part of him told him not to. He would have deleted it but that same part told him not to. He stared at the app, it seeming to pulsate as if to taunt him. The waves he saw were almost hypnotic, causing him to actually feel tired.

Mishima didn't end up sending Ren his thank you.


	3. The Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _ I am you now and you are me instead _
> 
> _ Then I see there is blood on your wedding dress _
> 
> _ And all of the old walk down and I'm feeling unsure _
> 
> _ When I'm sleeping in my own place I'm not home _

* * *

 

A few days, maybe a week, after their escapade to Dome Town, and Mishima still refused to think on the second part of his new destiny. He also refused to touch that strange app on his phone, it’s red aura trying to crawl its way into his subconscious. He thought it was malware which, if that was the case, would be best to get fixed as soon as possible, but it was nothing he had ever seen before.

The point of most malware was to infect a device and either get information or lock someone out of their device. This app seemed to do neither. It mostly sat in the corner of the screen, pulsing occasionally, worrying Mishima. Its very presence was obviously nefarious, which would have been recognized by anybody. The only problem with his observations was the fact that Mishima had no clue how it managed to be installed onto his phone.

The only way he could think of that occurring involved him visiting disreputable websites. Of course, Mishima wouldn't be so careless as to enter any website that may damage his device. Which is why he took all the necessary precautions and even chose a brand of phone with pre-installed antivirus software. It would be nearly impossible to infest it with a bug the only way he was aware of. This made the infestation that much more enigmatic, its perpetrator more mysterious.

He lay in bed, still in his pajamas, contemplating. He had only just woken up and he almost immediately opened his phone only to stare at the screen. He would have stared all morning if not for receiving a message from one of the few people he regularly contacted, Ren.

“Hey Yuuki, there’s something important I've got to talk to you about. Are you free today?” Mishima did, in fact, have nothing planned for that day and he would have told his friend that immediately if not for one slight speed bump. Ren had taken to using Mishima’s first name more often, each time making the boy somewhat embarrassed. When they were in person his face would heat up and he’d avoid looking at the cause, Ren smiling and giggling to himself every time without fail. It was less so over text but he could still feel the redness in his cheeks as he typed out his response.

“I wasn’t planning on doing anything important today so if you need something I’d be more than happy to help. You wouldn’t mind telling me what first though, right?”

A few moments passed after hitting send and Ren has answered, however slightly disappointing to Mishima, “All I will tell you is it’s Phantom Thief business. I’m sure you understand why.” The phanboy nodded, the situation involving the thieves of hearts more than understood by him. He was tapping away another reply when a second message beat him to the punch, “I will tell you everything in person though. Meet me in Shibuya in about an hour. We’ll talk more there.”

Considering how suspicious Ren seemed to be acting, a meet up in on of the busiest places in Japan was odd. If he wished to keep something a secret, surely a public place wouldn’t have been ideal to discuss said secret. Then again, the Phantom Thieves were an enigma. Mishima had no real way to ascertain any information on their methods or secrets. Maybe they had none and he was the only person not aware of them. Maybe that was what Ren wished to speak about. Either way, the boy gave a simple reply, “Sounds good. I’ll see you there.”

 

The ride from his home to Shibuya was only a few minutes, Mishima too focused on his own thoughts to even care about the boredom public transit tended to pose. The journey would have gone without incident but something was poking at the teen. The mysterious app. He knew he shouldn't be messing with it, especially if its origins were unknown but it was reaching a point that his curiosity was almost too much. Discreetly, he pulled out his phone and with nervous movements opened the application. He half expected his phone to explode or something sinister to pop up but there was nothing. It looked like a pretty average navigation interface. The only difference, of course, was a red eye symbol, the same as the app icon, flashing at the location of Shibuya. This would have been cause for further investigation but the train had stopped and the announcement of the destination rang over the loudspeaker.

Mishima turned his phone off and put it back in his pocket, exiting the car and heading to where his friend was waiting. He would look into the app later on when he wasn't focused on uncovering the mysteries of the Phantom Thieves. As he exited the underground, he briefly gauged his surroundings.

“Hey, Yuuki!” came the voice of his friend. He stood at the entrance to Shibuya’s underground, just to the right of where Mishima had exited.

The phanboy’s face heated up at hearing his given name used in a public space. “Hi Amamiya,” he greeted, doing his best to keep his embarrassment hidden. “Good to see you didn’t forget about me.”

“How could I? I was the one that asked you here,” the teen smiling as a way of making his acquaintance comfortable. He patted Mishima on the shoulder, explaining, “Now that you made it, I can finally tell you why we’re here.”

The phanboy sighed in relief, “Please do, I haven't stopped thinking about it since you brought it up.”

“Figured as much. You are very passionate about the Phantom Thieves. I know I’ve never given you a straight answer as to whether or not I’m a Phantom Thief but at this point...I think you deserve it.” Ren smirked, “Which is why...I thought I would tell you exactly how they...well, we change hearts.”

“Really?!” Mishima exclaimed with too much energy, garnering looks from passersby, not that he cared about that at the moment. He was too filled with a sudden burst of excitement, one that wouldn't go away for quite some time. “That’s why you brought me here?”

“Obviously. We’ve been pretty close now, I think it only fair to give some explanation.”

“Oh man...” the boy could feel the nerves increasing throughout his body, reaching a peak that would soon become too much to contain. “T-this...this is almost too overwhelming!”

Ren chuckled, “Calm down, I don’t want you passing out on me.”

“R-right,” Mishima agreed, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

“Good. Now where should I start?” the phantom thief giving a pensive expression, “Ah, how ‘bout...the Cognitive World?”

Ren took to describing the basics of the dimension he and his comrades used many times. He explained how the cognitive world reflects human subconscious desires with physical forms known as shadows and how with it he, with the other phantom thieves, was able to confront these beings, take the source of their desires, a treasure, and change their real-world counterpart’s heart.

Mishima, out of curiosity asked how exactly they traveled to and from the cognitive world to which Ren took to describing the Metaverse Navigator. “All the Phantom Thieves have this app, the Metaverse Navigator, that lets us go in and out. For every one of us, it just sort of...appeared one day. You can’t delete it and I’m almost certain it’s always on. It can be creepy at times but unless you say specific keywords, nothing bad will really happen.”

“So...you use it to take down every target? Even the bigger ones like that mob boss?” the phanboy wondered.

“Yes...well...kind of,” Ren eventually conceded. “See, the cognitive world has different parts, palaces, which are for individuals, and this one collective distortion called Mementos. That is much more-“

Before he could finish explaining, an automated voice came from Mishima’s pocket, “ _Searching for location.”_

“What the...” the volleyball player mumbled, pulling out his phone and turning it on to see why it had activated. “Sorry about that, I don’t know what that was-“

“ _Location found,_ ” the voice announced, causing Mishima to worry slightly.

“What is going on with this? I didn’t even-“

With a smirk and a crossing of his arms, Ren gave the phone a single command, “Enter Mementos.”

“ _Beginning navigation._ ”

Mishima looked up from his phone’s screen directly into the eyes of his friend, who looked to be on the verge of giggling. “Amamiya what did you...”

As he was confronting his companion, the world around the two teenagers began to change, the entrance to the subway still the same only a red haze obscuring their view slightly. Around them, the crowd that was present only seconds before had vanished, enveloping the area in a sinister quietness.

“What...where are we?” the blue-haired teen asked. Ren gave him no answer, choosing instead to walk down the steps that led to Shibuya’s underground. At least, that’s what Mishima had assumed would be down there. Instead, there was a single room, one he had never seen in all his time in Japan. Black and red tendrils clung to the walls, a row of turnstiles and escalators descending deeper into the subway. Mishima gazed in a combination of wonderment and subdued horror, the latter emotion only kept back by the company he was present with. “Woah...what is this place?” he exhaled.

“Mementos, the collective unconscious of Japan made real.”

Mishima was too busy admiring his surroundings that he almost didn't notice Ren’s change in outfit. Instead of wearing the normal clothing he had at the station, he was now dressed in an outfit that could only be described as extravagant, long cape, heeled boots, and red gloves, as well as a mask reminiscent of those used at masquerades. “What the...your clothes...what happened to your other ones?”

“When you’re in the Metaverse and you steal treasures,” the thief began, “you tend to get a new outfit.”

“So I’ve got to be a Phantom Thief to get one, huh?” Mishima asked, a subtle frown on his face.

“As far as I know...yes, you do.”

The phanboy clicked his tongue, “Aw man. I really wanted a cool outfit like yours.”

“Cool, huh? Thanks, I try,” Ren commented while striking a generic model’s pose, causing the two to enjoy a laugh together.

As the humor was dissipating, Mishima wondered aloud,  “...so...what exactly do you do here? It seems like it’s just a creepy subway station.”

The masked teen stretched his arms, extending them in front of his body. “Why don’t you come with and find out?”

“I don’t know...”

“Come on, you’re in the presence of a Phantom Thief. You’re in safe hands.”

The athlete was hesitant, which was expected. After all, it wasn't very often he was brought into another dimension based on the distorted desires of the collective unconscious of all of Japan. Plus, he had just had his suspicions on the Phantom Thieves identities confirmed. A lot was going through his mind, none of which was making it easy for him to focus.

Even so, the last couple of days had been ripe with new experiences for Mishima, all of them sparked by that fortune teller in Shinjuku. After reading his fortune, three times, it was clear that some person was going to play an important role in his personal journey. When he thought about it, the teen managed to deduce that the person in question was Ren. And if he wanted to better himself, he had to ignore his anxieties and let Ren take the lead. Let him show Mishima how to gain confidence, how to be himself, all the things he wouldn't have done able to do.

With a bit of effort, he managed to form a reply, “...A-alright. I trust you.”

At that, the Phantom Thief marched down the escalator trailed by his friend Mishima. As they reached the first level’s platform, said teenager realized something he should have gotten addressed earlier. “So, this ‘metaverse navigator’...you have it, obviously, but...it was my phone that transported us here...does that mean-”

“Did you get a strange glowing app on your phone recently?” Ren asked with no hesitation as he hopped down the platform onto the tracks of the underground. “Red and black icon of an eye?”

“Y-yes, actually...”

“Well, then have I got news for you,” he turned towards Mishima and offered a hand to assist him to his level. The phanboy grabbed hold and hopped down, looking into the darkness that was Mementos sprawling cave-like network. “You've got the nav just like us phantom thieves.”

Mishima blinked in disbelief, “But...why give it to me? And why did you use mine to bring us down here in the first place?”

“Well first, it was given to you because you have the potential, and second because I was going to take you to Mementos anyway. Your fresh meta nav made the job easier on my part,” Ren explained, hopping along the tracks as they led deeper into the distortion. Before Mishima could ask any follow-up questions, movement from ahead was noticed. Rounding a corner, a tall, hulking, mass with an unmoving face looked in the two teens direction. With a jolt of its body, it started speeding in their direction.

“W-what is that thing?” a nervous, and easily spooked, Mishima asked, cowering behind his more confident companion, Ren.

“It’s a shadow. Don’t worry. Just stand back and watch a master deal with it” the thief responded, running to meet the shadow and swinging his knife to attack. The mass collapsed into a puddle and reformed itself in the shape of two mounds of slime with faces. From a distance, the phanboy watched as his friend fought the creatures with ease, ripping off his mask and summoning an ethereal figure to deal the final blow.

As the dust settled and Ren made his way back to Mishima, the teen athlete couldn't help but shimmy in excitement. “Oh my gosh! That was amazing! Way cooler than I imagined. I never expected the Phantom Thieves to literally fight a person’s desires. Can I...see you do that again? And could you maybe tell me what that ghost thing was all about?”

Ren smirked, “With pleasure.” As they went searching for a second shadow to fight, the masked teen took to providing a brief explanation of personas, and his own ability as the wildcard to have more than one. Mishima took to the information quickly, meaning by the second encounter, he had more than enough information to grasp what was happening. The two traveled deeper into the level, defeating a few more shadows, talking about the intricacies of palace infiltration. Unfortunately, their conversation was cut short by ominous noise noticed by Mishima and a sudden realization by Ren.

“...What is that noise? Sounds like...chains?” the boy asked rhetorically, looking around to find the source.

“Oh no.” the thief whispered, slight panic forming in his conscious

“Oh no?” Mishima questioned, not as rhetorically as his last inquiry. “What? Why?”

“The Reaper,” he stated emotionless, gripping the athlete’s arm, ready to drag him along at a moments notice.

“Like...the _Grim_ Reaper?” Mishima questioned, anxiety building up thanks to his companion’s borderline panicked response.

“If we don’t leave this level right now, it will be.” Ren, without further conversation, pulled the phanboy in the direction of the exit, hoping they could either outrun or avoid the Reaper entirely. Unfortunately, they were not so lucky. Between them and the exit, a large shadow loomed, floating seamlessly through the air towards the boys. It waved methodically making no noise itself, only a jangling that came from the chains wrapped around its form.

“T-that thing is...” Mishima muttered.

“Terrifying? Yeah, I know.”

“Can you take it on by yourself?”

“Not a chance.”

Part of the phanboy wanted to scream in terror at hearing that response. Another part wanted to run, dragging his friend as far away from the Reaper as possible. Neither of them were good options. The intimidating shadow was much faster than either of them, making escape an impossibility. And while screaming would be cathartic, it posed no real use in their situation. That left the only, somewhat suicidal, plan he could think of. Mishima knew it was their only shot, but he hoped his closest friend had some other trick he was unaware of. “...But then...how will you-“

“I’ll figure something out.” Ren’s face was stoic as if he was playing poker. He turned his head slightly down, pulling out his dagger, “I always do.”

The phantom thief lunged at the formidable adversary, engaging it in a fight that would surely be to the death. Mishima stood to the side, as far as he could from the action without abandoning his friend. He watched as the faceless form brandished two pistols, shooting one in the air, sending his ears ringing. He watched as Ren unleashed his persona’s attacks on the monster, slashing or inflicting some elemental damage.

At first, it seemed neither one had the advantage, but as the fight carried on for longer, it was obvious who had the upper hand. With every hit, the Reaper reacted as if nothing had been done to it. The same could not be said for Ren. The masked thief became more and more fatigued as the shadow beat him down with a myriad of attacks. His breathing became more labored, sweat collected on his brow. Eventually, he seemed to only be able to hit the creature with his knife, which was about as effective as any other attack, that being not very.

The worst part of the experience for Mishima was the fact that he was stuck watching. He couldn't do anything besides that. He had no persona to fight with, no weapon to strike with. The best he could do was shout encouragement at his friend in hopes that it would give him some kind of boost. But he knew it wasn't enough. He knew that no matter how much he wished he could help, the two of them were doomed. This was the end of the Phantom Thieves, the end of everything they worked so hard to accomplish.

The Reaper raised its pistol and aimed it at Ren. The thief fell to his knees, doubled over in pain and exhaustion. He didn't know how long he was fighting for, but he knew he couldn't go for much longer. He clutched the dagger in his hand, waiting for the shadow to deal the final blow.

“Ren!” Mishima shouted in an unexpected move. He lunged towards the monster that had brought his friend to the ground, not sure what he was going to accomplish but spurred to action by something inside him. Watching his friend in agony and not being able to protect him was hard to do, so it came as no surprise that the teenager was willing to risk his life in a last-ditch effort to save him.

Unfortunately, Mishima didn’t make it more than a few steps before his muscles froze and a head-splitting pain manifested right behind his eyes, his vision slowly becoming hazy until he was practically blind. He fell to his knees, groaning in intense pain. He closed his eyes, tears welling up in their corners. Just as the pain became unbearable, an echoed voice entered his mind.

_Ha! How amazing! It seems you've finally realized your natural capabilities. I see inside your heart. A true rebel lies within, one that would be able to take control of their fate for themselves, one that can help those by any means instead of standing to the side and watching as the universe plans their demise. But before that...a contract!_

His vision returned, no longer faded. The migraine he felt now a dull buzzing behind his eyes. As he began to take in his surroundings, he could see a black circle in his peripheral, like he was wearing a mask, which in fact he was. The top half of his face was now covered by a mask resembling a wolf, ears jutting out the ends of his forehead and a snout forming at the end of his nose. It was navy, almost black, a metallic gloss streaked with white visible in the faded light that bathed Mementos. Its form was a perfect fit for his face. The voice spoke once more.

_I am thou, thou art I. Take hold of your mask and show the world what it means to rebel!_

He turned his gaze towards the Reaper now backing away slowly as if confused by the spectacle it was witnessing. Mishima stood up from the ground, a smirk plastered on his face. “I hear you. Give me your strength, then. Now...Raven!” He grabbed hold of the edge of the mask, peeling it off his face. He threw it through the air and his bloodied face erupted into blue flames, along with the rest of his body. A shockwave pushed both Ren and the intimidating shadow back, the former struggling to get up but still admiring the display before him.

As the fire dissipated, the phanboy’s typical clothing was replaced by an outfit he himself would have found rebellious. It was made entirely of a light but sturdy leather, the same colors as his mask. Attached to his neck and hanging off his back was a hood, detailed with white embellishments. The shoulders of his new garment ended in slight points, the snow colored ornate designs trailing their tops. His arms were draped in gauntlets, pointed at the elbows and covered in the same patterns as his shoulders. Each gauntlet extended out to the tips of his fingers with metal, creating faux claws that could cause considerable damage. Various straps covered his torso, holding what seemed to be decorative knives, kept tightly in their places with buckles. The leather of his boots traveled up his legs and formed points at his knees, just as they had done to his elbows. His heels were raised slightly and the toe end of the footwear was claw-like. Strapped to his left thigh was a rapier, one obviously intended for combat and stuck to his back was a crossbow, causing only a noticeable amount of pressure on his back.

Floating above him was the large figure of an emaciated, bare-chested man with skeletal wings for arms, dotted with minimal feather covering. He was seated on an ornate water jug, his legs crossed. From the jug spilled thin streams of water that wrapped around the man, almost hugging his skin and unfeathered wings. He wore only a simple leather skirt tied at his waist. His head was the most striking part about him, however. He did not have a face of a typical man, but that of a particularly menacing raven. His beak was sharp at the end and serrated at the edges, making it seem like a large cutlery tool. The keratin structure was cracked in many locations, giving the bird face more to fear. His eyes were stark neon yellow, his pupils shrunk down to almost pinholes. The black feathers ended just below his shoulders, messily stuck to his head. At his scalp, a few of the feathers created a menacing tuft. The very few parts of him that seemed to be skin were caked in soot, turning his skin almost as black as the feathers on his head, minus the parts that were touched by the streams of water.

“Ready?” Mishima asked, a newfound confidence in his voice.

“Hmph, of course I am,” Raven sounded, lifting his featherless wings. Mishima could feel the new found power coursing through his body, filling him with not only energy but confidence. With a pointing of his hand and a commanding voice, Mishima’s persona released an attack of light. The Reaper was taken aback by the move, focusing its attention on its new aggressor over the fallen one. Ren seemed to notice this as he slowly crawled out of the way causing Mishima to smirk.

The shadow shot a bullet into the air, seeming to boost itself, and attacked the teen with fire. Mishima staggered slightly, not quite used to the feeling of being physically harmed by fire. But he was no stranger to pain, meaning it took no time to recover. He stopped briefly and shouted, “Go, Raven!”. The persona flapped its wings and launched an attack on the large figure. But instead of doing damage to it, the Reaper fell asleep, something Ren had never seen, made obvious by his audible gasp.

“Did you just...?”

“No time to worry about that, let's get you out of here.” Mishima rushed to his friend’s side and draped his arm over his shoulder. The two began walking, slowly passing by the slumbering Reaper.

“How long will it be out for do you think?” the phanboy wondered.

“We should have enough time to get out of here,” Ren answered weakly.

Mishima sighed and picked up the speed. When they got to the platform, he helped the Phantom Thief climb up it, following just behind. When the two were finally on the same level, he picked his friend off the floor once more and headed to the escalator that would lead them back up. Before he set foot on the step, Mishima took a quick glance behind him, the Reaper stirring and looking for its assailants. The teen smiled and walked onto the escalator that would lead him and his injured friend out of Mementos.

When they returned to the entrance, Ren almost immediately collapsed onto a pillar. He slid down one and sat, sighing with exhaustion.

“That was...” he began before realizing he was out of breath.

“An ordeal, to say the least,” Mishima finished, taking a seat next to his friend. “I thought you weren't gonna make it...”

“Yeah...” the thief chuckled, “you and me both. But I gotta say...that was a nice diversion. Awakening to your persona and putting it to sleep? Never seen that move before.”

The Phanboy smiled weakly, a sudden realization coming to mind. “My persona...so does that mean...”

“So far every persona user we’ve met has joined the Phantom Thieves...I don't see why you'd be the exception.”

Mishima, at hearing those words, was filled with many conflicting emotions. On one hand, he was beyond excited to be on the same level as the ones he admired. But on the other, he was apprehensive, worried that he wouldn't be as great as they were. After all, they had done amazing things, taken out a mob boss _and_ a hacker group, two things not even the police were able to do. All he had done was make a website and run away from a terrifying adversary, neither of which seemed Phantom Thief material.

“I...I don't know if I can...can I even compare to you guys?”

“Come on, Yuuki,” Ren comforted, placing his hand on the teen’s shoulder, “You've got no reason to be so hard on yourself. You just save me from certain death. I'd say that’s worthy of being part of our team.”

“But...” Mishima sighed, “I’m not sure-”

“Oh, stop it. Stop being like that.” the stern voice from his friend startling the phanboy. “Stop thinking you're not worthy of the things you've earned. Stop looking at everyone around you as if you have to be just like they are. Stop worrying about whether or not you're worthy of certain things. I know what you've done for the Phantom Thieves. I've seen what you can do with that persona of yours. You would make a perfect addition to the team. The only thing holding you back is yourself. I don't want to see you like this anymore. I want to see you like you were a few minutes ago. The confidence in your voice. The strength in your movements. That smile on your face...I know you want that too. So stop hiding and be that person we both desperately want you to be.”

Mishima was stunned to silence. He had never had anyone speak to him as directly as that. Most would have been roundabout or vague, or just not say anything period. But Ren had been extremely blunt. He picked apart every part of the phanboy and put it out there for him to confront. Mishima was never good at dealing with his inner turmoil, making the rant his closest friend had been on that much more hard-hitting. He had no other choice but to face the reality of his feelings, the ones so blatantly on display that they could be described by someone not experiencing them.

As he examined what Ren had said, Mishima came to a conclusion. It was all true and needed to be heeded. He didn't like how he was on the inside and, while he doubted he could change completely, he wished he could change the things that hindered him so much. He wanted to put his anxieties away and be the hero he so wanted. He wanted to be open to the new, even if it was risky. He needed to change and grow, or else he would be stuck, never able to fix anything he'd broken.

With a deep breath, Mishima responded, “...Alright...I’ll be that person. I’ll stop letting myself be held back by my fears and insecurities. I’ll be better at keeping myself open. I’ll...I’ll...” The boy would have finished but he could feel a few tears welling up in his eyes. He sniffled and wiped under his eyes. He wasn't used to making promises about changing himself. The emotion of this had caused the waterworks, which were usually hard to stop.

Ren smiled softly, pulling his friend into an embrace. Mishima quietly cried into his shoulder as the Phantom Thief methodically patted his back, doing his best to avoid the crossbow attached to it. After a few moments, the boy had calmed down and separated himself from his friend, occasionally sniffing.

“Well,” Ren began, “I think we’ve spent enough time in this dingy subway. Why don't we get out of here and head home?” The Phantom Thief slowly stood up, still obviously fatigued from the fight earlier but not so much that he needed assistance. Mishima agreed with a nod, standing up and wiping the rest of the wetness from his face.

Ren led the way out and the two used his device to exit Mementos. As they returned to the real world, Mishima was suddenly hit with his own exhaustion, one he was not aware of. He yawned, turning to his companion, “I assume we’re gonna part ways for today, right?”

Ren affirmed, “Not much else we can do. Especially since I'm sure you're just as tired as I am.” The teen agreed with a light giggle. “Anyway, I think with your newfound power you should also meet your new team. Tomorrow, of course. I’ll send you the details later.”

“Alright,” Mishima nodded, “See you tomorrow then.” The two teens went on their ways, taking no time to get home.

 

Despite how tired he was, Mishima was having difficulty falling asleep. The events of the day had almost made sure that was the case. Awakening to his own persona was a draining experience yet for whatever reason he couldn't shut his eyes and drift off to sleep. He was too busy thinking about Ren.

The teen had been responsible for so much change within him recently that it was no surprise he was on his mind. The rollercoaster, the Ferris wheel, the Reaper. They all provided Mishima with a growth of character, something he felt was important. He needed to grow as a person, and the rant Ren had gone on at his expense was proof of that. Despite how blunt it seemed, Mishima was not saddened or angry with it. Everything his friend had said was true and if he had refused to listen to it he would have been worse off.

Plus Ren hadn't said it to be disrespectful. He had said it as a way to be helpful. There was no way Mishima would have been able to accept the truth without assistance, mainly because he refused to acknowledge his inner self most of the time. His feeling were always complicated after all and looking at them usually made his mind wander into self-loathing.

But now, with his new confidence caused by his persona and his new outlook on life, he could confront his demons. On the top of the pile was the reading he had gotten from the fortune teller Chihaya. It was always on his mind, he just never wanted to look into it for fear of ruining his blissful ignorance. But he couldn't pretend anymore. He knew what he was feeling deep down, and so far his fortune had been right.

The Fool was supposed to come into his life and help him confront, the Devil, his inner self, help him unchain himself from his bonds, and work towards becoming confident and able to overcome his fears, the reversed Moon. With some inner searching, he was able to learn that the Fool was Ren and that the Moon was supposed to be himself in the future, when he has finally faced the Devil. He wasn't sure if this was going to be another person, but after that day, he had realized who it was. The Devil was his inner self, the one he refused to acknowledge, the one who Ren had told him was holding him back.

Those words repeating in his head were what helped him to realize the truth of his fate, that he was his own hinderance, and that his best friend was what helped him get passed it. Fate may not be absolute but Mishima’s sure seemed it. And while most of it appeared to be solved there was one part that wasn't quite taken care of.

The Devil, according to both Chihaya and Mishima’s own research, represented an opening up of one’s sexuality. This was the aspect of his fate that he tried his best to avoid confronting, but he could do so no longer. To some, the card could simply be an openness to new experiences, but to Mishima, it was...different. To Mishima, it involved those he was attracted to.

Like most, the teen believed himself to be solely attracted to females. But unlike most, this turned out to be not quite accurate. He did find them alluring and he would consider dating them, of course, but this feeling wasn't just limited to the girls of his school. Not often, but sometimes he'd see a boy, one that gave him the same reaction at seeing a girl. But he never allowed those thoughts to linger in his mind. If he did, then he’d vindicate those bullies that had so often teased him about his preferences. But, it was thanks to Ren that he agreed to pay no mind to others that would look down on him. It was Ren that told him to be himself, no matter what others thought. It was Ren who he allowed to linger in his mind.

The Phantom Thief was the first person at Shujin to treat him with kindness. He was the first to keep Mishima around while others pushed him away. He was the first to realize his potential and help lead him in the right direction. He was the first to become so close to the boy that he wouldn't hesitate to call him his best friend. All this to say that the phanboy understood why he felt the way he did when Ren would call him by his first name, why he felt something on the top of that Ferris wheel, why he had been so emotional at confronting his true self.

If he was being honest, Mishima knew all along why he was feeling the way he was, he just wasn't ready to confront that part of himself. But, like with many things, the right person came and gave him what he needed to be true to himself and to those around him. He was given confidence, acceptance, understanding, truth. And it was these that had made all the difference to him.


	4. The Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _ It is perfect, it is beautiful and still _
> 
> _ And it is silent, it is white and it is good _
> 
> _ And all by the fooling round with daisy chains on our heads _
> 
> _ It is coming now, my friend, and it's the end _

* * *

 “I’m worried,” Mishima said as he was seated on the couch in Ren’s attic bedroom. He was waiting for his fellow Phantom Thieves to show up, their leader having called a meeting. Mishima was the first to arrive giving him time to air his worries to one of his closest friends.

“Haven't heard you say that in a while. What’s up?” Ren asked, sitting up from his position on his bed.

“It’s Niijima’s palace,” he explained. The last couple of weeks leading up to the moment he was currently in, he had been racking his brain over the semantics of their plan. He had been over it so many times that he managed to convince himself that it was almost infallible. Even so, there was always a small part of him that was concerned. “Something about the whole thing...I just feel-”

“Hey, it’s alright,” Ren comforted, standing up and heading towards the boy on the couch. “Our plan is foolproof.”

Mishima smiled weakly at the comment, “I wish I could believe that...”

“Come on,” the bespectacled teen took a seat next to his friend, placing his hand on his shoulder. “What happened to that confidence you've had the last couple months?”

“It...I think I lost it today.” Mishima looked at the floor, his elbows on his legs.

“What?” Ren wondered, concerned that he had heard something that ruined the progress he had made. “What did you-”

“I talked to that fortune teller in Shinjuku...Mifune...” the phanboy interrupted. He kept his gaze at his feet, focusing on the wood grain instead of the reaction his words had caused in his friend.

“Oh...”

“She read the fate of the Phantom Thieves...she said it was the same as yours...”

Ren sighed, “Death...yeah I know. Look, that doesn't mean you should-”

Mishima scoffed and brought his attention to his company, “I’m going to worry, okay? This mission for all we know could be our last. I know we’ve been over the plan over and over again but there’s still...” he paused, unsure of what he was feeling. “I don't know...some doubt...?”

“Doubt? What about?”

“Doubt that we covered all the bases?” he began. “Doubt that we’ll make it out of there unharmed. Doubt that...you’ll get out the same.”

Ren leaned back in his seat, “Sounds like you're worried about me specifically.”

“I-it’s not like that...” Mishima took to correcting, “It’s just...you're my closest friend. The thought of putting your life at stake for me...for us...the reason I have a persona was because you did just that. But unlike that time...I can't do anything. I have to sit back and let you do this. It’s...frustrating.”

Everything he had said was true. The very thought of being put in an inescapable situation like in Mementos worried the boy to no end. But that wasn't the whole story. At the beginning that may have been true, but as time went on, his emotions became more personal. He wasn’t afraid of him being bested in combat or outsmarted by an adversary. He was afraid of losing him.

The thought of never being able to talk to him, never being able to see him. That’s what was truly terrifying. That’s what worried him. There were a few reasons he felt such a way. They had a job to finish, they had to reform society of course. He had much more to experience in his life, being only a teenager. But the one Mishima would have been embarrassed to admit even to himself, he couldn’t imagine a life without him.

Ren had been a staple in his life, so much so that if he were to disappear the phanboy was certain to be at a loss. At every major turn in his life, Ren had always been there. Whenever he needed advice on how he should act, or an ear to listen to his problems, Ren was never far. Without him, Mishima wouldn't have made it to the point he had. Without him, he wouldn't be a Phantom Thief in the first place. To say Ren was in large part responsible for who he was, was an understatement.

This was the reason he felt at a loss without him. He was connected to him, not literally but, emotionally to the point that even just the thought of being parted was enough to fill him with a maelstrom of emotions he hadn't completely sorted through. Mishima could sit there, next to the person he was closest with in many aspects, and say he was only frustrated, but in the end not even he was sure, and until he had the opportunity to examine himself internally, that would always be the case.

“The things that are best to do aren't always the easiest,” Ren put his arm around his friend and gave him a small hug, patting his shoulder in an attempt at comforting. It worked briefly until the bell at Leblanc's entrance sounded from below.

“Yo!” shouted the familiar voice the two recognized as Ryuji.

“We should probably go greet him,” Ren said, standing from the couch.

“Yeah...we should,” Mishima agreed, getting up once his friend had started descending the stairs. Just as he reached the entrance to the attic, listening to the noise from the cafe, he took a deep breath, mumbling, “Please...”

 

“How much longer?” Mishima asked, pacing by the banister.

“It takes awhile to get here from the police station,” the voice of Futaba shouting from Ren’s bed hitting every room occupants’ ears. Those present included every other member of the Phantom Thieves, all spread across the attic with no particular order.

“Plus,” Ann added, “she is dragging along a dead guy that-”

“What?!” Mishima cried, freezing in place, wide-eyed.

Ryuji blinked, “Dude...chill out a little. She didn't mean actually dead.”

“Oh, yeah...r-right,” the phanboy returned to his pacing.

“What’s got him so worked up?” Makoto wondered, gauging the room for any answers.

“Nishima just doesn't know how to relax,” Futaba quipped, “especially when our leader’s involved.”

“To be fair,” Haru started, “We are all worried for his safety and well being. I sympathize with his behavior.”

“Yeah, but at his level?” Ryuji prodded, pointing in the direction of Mishima. “Don't you think he’s bein’ a little overdramatic? I mean, we already know the guy’s alive and on his way. Why freak out about it so much?”

“Perhaps his reaction is indicative of a more hidden anxiety, one that is the same as ours but fueled by something much more intense,” Yusuke remarked, placing his hand on his chin and contemplating his words more.

“Then what could that be?” Makoto asked.

“Why don't we just ask him? Nishima!” Futaba growled, startling everyone aside from the target, who only continued to pace. “Hmm, looks like we’ll need to try something else. Quick! Someone use his given name!”

“Yuuki?” Makoto said, taking a few steps towards the boy. Mishima at hearing his less commonly used name stopped dead and turned to the one who had called him.

“N-niijima?”

“Can you tell us what’s the matter? We’re all worried about our leader but you seem to be more concerned than all of us.”

“W-well...” As much as Mishima wanted to pretend he wasn't more worried, he knew how he was acting. Everyone else in the room was reserved in their concern. None of them were pacing or had a spike of cortisol just at the sound of the word ‘dead’. Of course, the rational part of his brain knew that there was nothing to worry about, but that part had been relegated to the back of his brain function. He had regressed back to the mental state he had before he became a Phantom Thief.

Before, when his confidence was nowhere to be seen. When he stressed about every decision in his life no matter how minuscule. Then Ren walked into his life. He gave him a reason to work on himself, he was the reason the Phansite existed. He was the one that gave him a persona, even if it wasn't on purpose. He had done so much for Mishima in the long run. He shaped him to be the person he so desperately wished to be. Yet, here he was, ignoring everything he had learned about confidence to wallow in worry over the guy that taught him those lessons.

That’s what Makoto was actually asking him. Why did he go back on such progress over his best friend who he knew was safe? What deeper connection did he have that would make him react so differently compared to his compatriots? Mishima knew the answer, it was his own thought processes after all, but it wasn't something he was necessarily ready to admit to his friends. He may have come to terms with his feelings, but that didn't mean he needed to be open about them with anyone else. What he exactly came to terms with was complicated, however.

He had a romantic interest in Ren, one he had been writing off as the feelings of a close friendship. What had ticked him off to it being more was the night after he had gotten his persona. That night gave him the time to look inside himself and see that he felt like more than a best friend, that he wanted more than just hangouts around Tokyo. He wanted to be with him. In the end, he was the only one aware of this desire and it was because of this that he kept quiet and let it seep into his mind more and more until the plan to save Ren from Akechi burned in his mind and wrecked his confidence.

So when Makoto asked what was wrong, there was no simple answer he could give. He wasn't comfortable telling the truth or lying so he did his best. “...I’m not sure why or...what’s wrong, I’m just...”

“It’s okay.” Makoto took a few more steps towards Mishima, putting her hand on his bicep. “We understand what you're going through. We all feel-”

“I care about him and...and I don't like not being able to help him. Knowing that he could have been hurt or worse...” Mishima mumbled absentmindedly, not paying attention to what Makoto had said to him, or planned to say. As his sentence finished, he became hyper-aware of the silence in the room as well as all the eyes focused on him. He glanced at everyone, his face heating up with every second. “N-no, I don't...I’m not...”

“Ooh, Nishima’s got a crush,” the hacker teased, giggling to herself.

“Futaba,” Makoto snapped, “Leave him alone.”

“I should have guessed your sudden change in behavior was influenced by such feelings,” Yusuke commented. “Perhaps you wouldn't mind if I looked into this for a future piece?”

“W-what?! You guys...come on, I’m not...I don't have a crush on...o-our leader.”

“It’s quite alright if you do,” Haru added. “We are in no way going to judge you for having emotions. Right, Ryuji?” She shot a look at the blond in question.

“Wha-me? Why would you-”

“You are the most superficial out of all of us,” Ann retorted. “No one would put it past you if you started treating Mishima differently for this.”

“G-guys, I appreciate the concern but...” the phanboy’s face was nearly an impossible red. He was going to keep denying their assumption, but he couldn't do it anymore. Avoiding the truth with them wouldn't serve well in the long run. So with a deep breath and some tensing of his muscles, he exhaled, “...Oh, I can't do this...you're right...I have...feelings for him.” With his sentence finished, a sigh of relief escaped the lips of every Phantom Thief, including himself.

“Took ya long enough,” Ryuji huffed. “Was wonderin’ when you'd finally admit to it.”

“W-what’s that supposed to mean?” Mishima asked, almost annoyed at the blond’s response to his confession.

“Well, let’s be honest here. You never really made any effort to hide it.”

“The way you looked at him, your body language,” Ann pointed out.

“And the way you acted in the Metaverse? All worried and mushy..." Futaba jokingly shuddered, "kinda gave it away,” she finished, the same time Mishima decided to sit on the floor.

“I...I can't believe I was...” he grumbled to himself. “D-do you think he knows? If you say it was so obvious then maybe...probably...”

Ryuji chuckled, “‘Knows’? I think it’s more than that. He told me all about your, uh, ‘dates’ and he didn't act like the two of you were just bein’ friends or whatever.”

“So...you're saying...”

“I think he’s into you too, yeah.”

Mishima was frozen. Just the thought that his feelings may not be one-sided made his heart skip a beat and brain malfunction. He almost couldn't respond to Ryuji’s comment. “I-if he does...what do I do? And what if he doesn't? I-I can't...”

“I think you should tell him in either case,” Haru’s words echoing in Mishima’s mind. “He's your best friend, right? I sincerely doubt he would remove you from his life just because he didn't share your feelings. And if he does, in fact, feel the same then what reason would he have not to be with you? In both scenarios, you still get to be his friend.”

“If I may add, as well,” Yusuke began, “Keeping these feelings swirling around inside you would not be good for your psychological state, nor your physical one knowing how you deal with stress. I agree with Haru’s suggestion. Tell him how you feel regardless of whether he reciprocates or not.”

Mishima could feel the stress building, but at the same time, he felt somewhat confident again. Being around so many supportive faces made him feel less like he had only a few short minutes ago. He had completely forgotten about Ren being in police custody, or his faked death. He had no need to remember Akechi’s betrayal or worry about the detective's next move. All he could, and wanted to, focus on was Ren returning and him being able to be honest with his best friend, just as he had done with all the Phantom Thieves. And now, with all of them having his back, he had no need to worry so much.

“B-but when should I-” Mishima started to ask before going quiet at the sound of a bell from the cafe below. The group was unmoving and entirely silent, none of them even breathing. They heard some muffled voices and soon the footsteps of someone coming up the stairs. Peeking his head at the top was Sojiro, his classic half grin present.

“He’s here,” was all the man said before descending the steps.

“I guess now is as good a time as any,” Makoto commented, offering to help Mishima from the floor, only for him to ignore her hand and quickly get up. He sped towards the steps and with inhuman speed walked down into the cafe. He paused briefly in front of the bathroom door and stared at the entrance to Leblanc. Stood there was Sae Niijima and placed just in front of her was Mishima’s best friend Ren. Looking at him, it was obvious he hadn't been treated with the best of care, fading bruises visible on his face. Despite this, he was still smiling and at seeing the phanboy he beamed. He outstretched his arms, awaiting a hug and Mishima took no time getting to him. He ran into his arms, feeling the tears welling up under his eyes.

As the two boys made contact, Mishima buried his face into Ren’s chest, doing his best to keep the tears from flowing. The leader put a hand the athlete’s head, massaging his scalp. “I wasn't gone for that long you know,” he joked. “I guess I should keep my vacations a little shorter, huh.”

Mishima didn't answer, he only chuckled into the fabric of Ren’s shirt. Wiping the wetness from his face with it, the phanboy removed his face and looked his friend in the eyes. “I just...” his voice quivering. “There’s something I need to tell you...something I thought I was never going to be able to do.”

“Oh,” Ren smirked, “What might that be?”

“I...” he hesitated slightly, but the talk he had with the other Phantom Thieves plus the thought of all Ren had done for him was enough for him to go through with it. “I have feelings for you...like...romantic ones. I only realized after I got my persona, after...all the things you did to help me. I...I know you might not feel the same way but I just needed to tell you because I don't want to have to live with my emotions all bottled up and I know that me confessing to you wouldn't affect our friendship and...” He began trailing off as Ren took one of his hands and cupped his cheek.

“I know,” he smiled, pulling Mishima into a kiss. As their lips touched, the phanboy’s senses collectively went numb. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth that slowly filled his body, starting from his chest and expanding outward. Mishima had never been kissed, by a girl or otherwise, so it wasn't surprising when he lost all sense of time, preferring instead to enjoy the closeness, to be encapsulated by the feeling. His hands were still holding the back of Ren’s shirt, his grip tightening, pulling the two closer together. Both of them could have stayed like that for hours, but all good things must come to an end

From behind them, Sae cleared her throat. Mishima and Ren reluctantly parted, their minds still hazy from the kiss. “Are you two finished?” the prosecutor questioned, both of them knowing full well that she would not have taken ‘no’ as an answer.

“Do we actually get a choice?” Ren remarked, Sae only rolling her eyes. From the stairwell was the obvious sound of Ryuji answering the question.

“Not at all. If we did, you'd continue locking lips with him instead of saying ‘hi’ to your other friends.

“True enough,” Ren agreed, removing his hand from Mishima’s cheek, much to his disappointment. He let go of his shirt, and looked to the floor, somewhat saddened. As he lifted his head back up, he felt someone take hold of his hand. Just as with the kiss, a feeling of warmth radiated throughout his body. He didn't need to look to see who had taken his hand, he knew who it was.

As Ren greeted his friends, he never once dropped Mishima’s hand. When they sat in one of the booths to regale Sae and Sojiro the meticulous plan they set up to fool Akechi, he allowed the phanboy to lean his head on his shoulder. At certain points, he would tighten his hold on Ren, only for the teen to do the same, understanding his need for comfort. By the end of the story, Mishima realized he had been barely listening to it the whole time. He was too busy riding the high of finally having someone at his side.

When he looked back on how he was months before, it was almost surprising that he had changed in such a drastic way. Then he remembered the fortune teller. Chihaya had told him he would need the help of the Fool to find and unshackle himself to finally gain the confidence he so desperately wanted. After so long, he had done it. He was finally the reversed Moon, no longer worried about every action he took or lacking a positive self-image of himself. And the Fool, the one that held him by his hand, was in part responsible. The fool who opened his eyes to so much. His Fool.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really happy with how this turned out. Originally I planned for there to be more content in the Metaverse but I found it too repetitive. I work better with character interaction than action anyway, so not much lost there.  
> I hope you enjoyed and, if you're so inclined, check out some of the other stuff I've written (or don't, it's not important that you do).
> 
> (Also, chapter summaries are lyrics from 'Moon' by Foals)


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